


He shoots and he scores.

by heyghouls



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Basketball date, First Kiss, Getting Together, Kiss cam, M/M, Ryan is suspecting something, Shane has a crush, friends to lover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-14 19:35:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15395895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyghouls/pseuds/heyghouls
Summary: Shane wants to impress Ryan but he doesn’t know how to. After many failed attempts, Steven offers to help and suggest taking out Ryan to a basketball game. Taking on his advice, Shane asks Ryan to accompany him to a game which results in Shane pretending to know about basketball and spending all day learning about the game for his upcoming date with Ryan. The only thing he wasn’t prepared for? The kiss cam.





	He shoots and he scores.

So here’s the thing. Shane has had a crush on Ryan for some time now and everyone pretty much knew about it.

Except for the one that needed to hear it the most, aka Ryan.

Ryan and Shane only have been co-workers for a year and friends for some months now and even though they do a show together, they don’t see each other that often outside of work. Therefore, it’s a big risk considering their current situation. Shane knows that but he really wants to take this relationship from the streets to the sheets. Or something along those lines.

Now, Shane has heard some rumors around the office that Ryan might like him back. And they are both single, so what is the problem you ask? Shane is a very clueless man who doesn’t know how to express his feelings to his friend without crumbling down in front of him.

So he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t say anything until he’s watching a movie one night,  that if you ask about it he would tell you he totally didn’t cry, that reminded him to seize the day and not to take anything for granted as it might just slip through your fingers.

So he started slow. Leaving little anonymous notes around the office that always seemed to get blown off because of the wind before Ryan could see them, or bringing him coffee almost every day as a simple gesture. Or letting him borrow stuff from his desk without actually expecting Ryan to give them back. You would think that by going with Ryan to supposedly haunted locations when he doesn’t believe in ghosts, Ryan would get the hint, but apparently, he didn’t. So Shane had to step up his game. And for that, he needed some help. By help, he means Ryan’s closest friends and co-workers.

 

“ You want me to what?”

“ Oh C'mon! You might even like it! “

“ No. I really like Ryan but I am not sitting through a basketball game”

In the spirit of finding more of Ryan’s interests and indirectly getting the thumb up to date him from his friends, Shane had found himself bickering with Steven about inviting Ryan to a basketball game. Apparently, it would be one of the greatest game of the year and he knew someone who could hook him up with good tickets. Ryan wouldn’t want to miss it in comparison to Shane who definitely would want to miss it. 

“ Wow. And I thought you wanted to impress him” Steven said while casually sipping on his drink. 

Shane raised his brow in question.

 “ What does it have to do with anything?” 

 “ Well... you’re bringing the guy you’ve been obsessed over to see his favorite team and on top of that, you’ll have amazing tickets that people would die for, thanks to me mind you. With our help, you’ll know everything you need to know about basketball.  You’ll be his favorite person by the end of the day. Guaranteed.” Steven finished with a grin. 

“ Plus, it’s not like your most recent tries have had most success” 

Shane eyed him for a moment, contemplating his options. It is true that he hasn’t had much luck lately. And it really is Ryan’s favorite sport. He could learn to love basketball in a day, right? For Ryan. Yeah. For Ryan. 

“ Alright, fine. What do I have to do?”

 

* * *

 

“ Wait really? I didn’t know you were into basketball.” Ryan asked staring in awe at the pair of tickets in front of him. 

“ Well, you know me, full of surprises.” Shane lied smoothly rubbing the back of his neck. 

“ Those are really good tickets as well. I’m surprised you didn’t find anyone to go with you” Ryan asked in disbelief, almost waiting for Shane to scream _it’s a prank._

 

 _That's because I didn’t ask anyone else_  

 

“ Well, you know. Weekday. People are busy so... I thought about simply selling them but then Steven mentioned you were into it and I remembered  you were a fan so I figured maybe you would be interested in going with me?” Shane said trying to cover any nervousness in his voice. 

Ryan let his eyes wander off the tickets for the first time since Shane planted them on his desk and smiled excitedly at Shane.  

“ Wow. I honestly don’t know what to say.” He laughed softly while shaking his head still not believing he would be attending the game. 

“ Just say yes,” Shane said more confidently this time as Ryan seemed more into it.

Ryan jumped to his feet and Shane could swear Ryan _squealed._ He didn’t waste any time in bringing Shane closer for a hug and Shane’s pretty sure he blacked out. 

“ Thank you, Shane. I would love to go with you “

“  You’re welcome” Shane replied while tapping Ryan’s back, almost awkwardly. 

Ryan’s phone ended the embrace when it vibrated in his pocket making Ryan pull away. Shane could feel his face getting red from embarrassment.

Ryan took his phone out and frowned.

“ Oh, crap. I gotta go. “ Ryan said apologetically while grabbing his stuff off his desk “ I’ll see you tonight?” 

Shane offered a small smile, trying to recuperate from feeling Ryan’s body heat against his. 

“ Yep. See you tonight”

“ Woo! Go Lakers!“ Ryan chanted flashing one more smile. 

 Ryan went off on his merry way, making sure to high five every one he knew on his way out, even stopping to brag about the upcoming game. Leaving Shane behind with what knew what the biggest mistake of his life. 

_Oh boy. What did I get myself into_

 

 Shane spent the rest of the day glued to his computer screen, learning about all the rules of basketball and the big MVPs in case Ryan asked any questions that weren’t game related. It was going well until Ryan came back earlier than he should have to their share desk, leaving Shane with no notes as he couldn't be researching in front of the man himself. Feeling desperate, he called one in and Steven booked a conference room during their lunch hour for some express teaching. 

“ Okay, so from the beginning. How many players on the court?” 

“ Seven,” Shane said confidently. 

Steven sighed as he pointed to the drawing on the conference room whiteboard.

” Five” 

Shane groaned and place his head in his hand. There was no one he could learn everything in 4 hours.

” It’s ok. We still have time” Steven encouraged.

“ It’s useless. I suck at sport and I’ll never be able to impress Ryan.” Shane came to the conclusion, defeated.

” Hey. Do you want that date or not?” Steven pressed firmly, almost intimidatingly. 

Shane nodded slowly.

“ Then focus. Here, next question. Easy one, if the guy shoots from here, how many points does he get?” Steven circled the little stick figure he drew in the center.

“ Two?”

Steven smiled encouragingly. ” That’s right. Even easier one, how long does a game last?”

” Too long” Shane snorted.

Steven shot him a disapproving look.

” 4 quarters of 12 minutes each”  Steven said.

“ Exactly what I said” Shane yawned.

Steven rolled his eyes and went on with his explanation. Shane trying his best to keep up with all by filling his third cup of coffee of the day.  All the coffee and the notes made him feel like preparing for a test in college again. 

Just like it did years ago, the coffee seemed to be efficient as Shane was soon on a roll.

“ Keeping the spirit up, what’s a free throw?” Steven asked.

” A free shot accorded after a foul. “

” and it’s worth...?”

” One point” 

” There you go,” Steven exclaimed! 

Shane clapped his hands together excitedly,  feeling a rush of confidence. 

“  If the offensive team puts the ball into play behind the mid-court line, it has - “ 

“ Ten seconds to get the ball over the mid-court line! “ Shane finished. 

“ Yes! and If it doesn't?”

” Then the defense gets the ball!” 

Shane jumped out of his chair, fist in the air. Steven laughed as Shane did his happy dance.

Shane knew it was only the beginning but he already knew more than he did this morning and maybe, just maybe he would get away with it. 

 ” Alright, let's step it up a notch, shall we?”

* * *

 

His lunch break was over too soon and they both actually had to get back to their real work. He felt a little bit anxious but Steven reassured him he was ready and that seemed enough to calm Shane’s nerve. Steven even offered to be on the call if Shane had any trivia emergency. 

Only, his worries increased at the end of the day when Ryan walked up to his desk with a Lakers jersey.  

“ Ready to go?” Ryan asked. 

Shane nodded absently while grabbing his coat. He was already sweating and the night hasn’t even begun. He studied all day, he could not mess this up. Why did he have to let Steven convince him? This was the worse idea ever. Maybe he should have stuck with the notes. They were way more efficient. Kind of. Lucky for him, Ryan interrupted his thoughts because he could start over thinking this. 

“ Man I’m so excited. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a game”  Ryan turned to Shane while they were making their way to the parking lot, smiling as brightly as ever and Shane could see he had trouble keeping his excitement down as he bounced up and down on his feet. If Ryan kept looking at him like that, Shane might forget everything he had learned. 

_He has such a beautiful smile. No. Shane, focus._

“ You and me both..” Shane whispered as they made their way to Shane’s car. 

“ What was that?” 

“ Oh. Nothing. Want to put on some music?”

Ryan nodded eagerly and Shane somewhat felt relieved. Looking at how happy Ryan was enough to ground him. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe he could do this and if he played his cards right, he might get a second date. 

A second date.

Was this a date? Did Ryan know this was a date? Oh god. 

Shane smiled politely and nodded, not listening to a word Ryan was rambling from the passenger seat as his mind was racing with the possibilities.

  _What would Kobe do?_

 

* * *

Shane got to use his knowledge on the way to the arena as LA traffic sucked. He couldn’t really escape it as he was stuck in the car with Ryan “ bury me in my basketball ball jersey “ Bergara. He let Ryan do most of the talk and agreed to everything he said, which only made him number one in Ryan’s eyes. Things were really looking out. 

When they finally made it, Ryan insisted Shane had to try the hot dogs that were apparently heavenly. His favorite food and his crush, could the night get any better? Shane couldn’t say no to that. 

“ So who’s your favorite player?” Ryan asked while they found their seat after 15 minutes of waiting in line for hot dogs. 

“ My favorite player?” Shane repeated. 

Ryan nodded while taking a bite of his hot dog patiently. A moan escaping his lips at the taste totally throwing Shane off his game. 

_Favorite player favorite player._

“  Gotta go with Kobe. The legend”

Ryan’s eyes sparkle up and Shane guessed he got the right answer.

Shane mentally high fived himself for brownie points.

” No way! Me too!” 

 _Well that was easy_  

Shane smiled satisfied with himself and while Ryan went off about his accomplishments, Shane realized he could listen to Ryan talk all day. He would go through hours and hours of sports talk if it meant he could hear Ryan’s musical laugh and soothing voice.

Sadly, his rambling was interrupted when the whistle blew and Ryan jumped out of his seat.

“ Go Lakers! “ Ryan screamed earning a laugh from Shane.

He looked back down at Shane and they exchanged a smile. Ryan rubs his forearm sheepishly and mumbled a quiet _sorry_  that Shane quickly dismissed. He was enjoying seeing Ryan so excited. 

“ Hey, thank you again. It was really nice of you to invite me. I’m having a great time with you so far and these seats are amazing “ Ryan said referred from the third row. 

Shane could feel his heart racing.

” Keyword: so far” Shane joked. 

 _Idiot_  

Ryan frowned and Shane quickly recovered.

” I mean. I’m glad you’re having a good time. I am too. Sorry. That was stupid. The night is still young and I just hope I don’t fuck it up. Is what I meant.”

Ryan laughed and reached over to squeeze Shane’s hand who was resting on his thigh.

” Don’t worry. You’re great. It’s a shame we don’t get to hang out more outside of work, I would love to- HEY CMON THAT WAS A FOUL!”

Shane almost jumped out of his seat at Ryan’s sudden intensity and immediately missed the way his hand felt on him. Did that just happen?

 _Well. The moment is over I suppose._ He thought as he saw Ryan jump on his feet, pointing around at players Shane totally knew the name of. 

He shook his head and soon joined the party.  Screaming whenever people were screaming and applauded when Ryan did. Apparently learning about basketball on paper was way different than the real game. It’s way more confusing in person.

He really tried focusing on the game but he couldn’t get his mind off what Ryan said. About how he wanted to see him outside of work. Or maybe he just imagined it?

Shane tried to brush it off and keep his attention on the game. He really tried to impress Ryan with his knowledge, which worked for a while. Shane showed off his vocabulary during the first quarter and was surprised at how much he remembered. It seemed to convince Ryan as he didn't question him on anything he said. Shane even went as far as to yell at the player of the opposite team, which seemed to amused Ryan. 

Until it didn't.

That's when the night took a turn Steven could have never prepared him for.

“ Are you okay?” Ryan asked when he caught Shane checking his phone for the fourth time.

 Shane lifted his head to meet his eyes. 

“ Huh? Yeah I’m fine”

“ You su- OH COME ON!” Ryan stopped mid-sentence, standing up to yell at the referee.

Shane only realized now that it was impossible to get to know Ryan better at a basketball game. Ryan was so into the game, Shane was sure he could leave without him noticing. Not that he complained as he loved the way Ryan gripped onto him when the game got intense or how he would flash a smile in his direction when the team scored.

Needing some fresh air and a distraction, Shane got up from his seat which caught Ryan’s attention. 

“ You want some food? I can get us some”

 Ryan smiled softly at Shane and Shane looked at him quizzingly. 

“ You’re not really a basketball fan, are you?”

 Shane’s eyes went wide and immediately sat back on his seat. 

“What? No. Of course, I am. Go, warriors! “ He said in a fake enthusiasm tone and a nervous laugh escaped his lips.

Ryan gave him a look and Shane knew he didn’t believe him but a smile was playing on his lips. At least he didn’t seem upset. 

Shane sighed and bowed his head down. 

 “ Is it that obvious?”

 He heard Ryan chuckled beside him. 

“ Kinda. Mostly because this is the Lakers, not the Warriors“

Shane winced as he looked at the players running in front of him. He blew it up. 

“ I’m sorry. “

Ryan shrugged “ Hey, it’s fine. I just don’t understand, why go through all this trouble?”

 Ryan played with his fingers nervously and Shane wondered why he had to be nervous or embarrassed about since Shane is the one that fucked up but then he realized how much of a jerk he had been acting. Ryan had been having full all night thinking this is what Shane wanted but Shane had been distracted and putting up an act. Now Ryan felt guilty for being the only one enjoying the evening as Shane clearly did a poor job hiding his boredom.

Shane would do anything to take the guilt out of Ryan’s sweet eyes so he went for it. 

“ Because of Ryan I - “

He felt someone push him from behind, cutting off his declaration. The people around them started cheering and encouraging. Shane turned around quizzingly until someone pointed up to the screen. His and Ryan's face was on display with the words  _Kiss Cam_ and an animated heart around them. The drunk guy behind him started laughing and pushing against him, making Shane gag in disgust. His eyes landed on Ryan who was looking at shook and confused as him. 

 “ oh. OH. No no, we are not - “

 “ Yeah, we’re just fr-“ 

People ignored their complaint and the camera didn't budge from them.

“ _Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”_

_” Those are the rules “_

People around them started cheering loudly and waiting impatiently. Eyes fixed on them but Ryan was the only one Shane had his eyes on. 

“ You really don’t have to do this “ Shane reassured Ryan and couldn't even begin to imagine how awkward it was for him.

“ Yeah, you do!” Some fan screamed from far.

To his surprise, Ryan wasn't objecting anymore. He was simply bitting his lips as he shrugged. He smiled nervously and raised a brow like asking for permission.

Shane swallowed hard and he could feel the blush rushing on his face. Unsure of what to do, he nodded knowing there was no way he was getting out of this with his pride still intact. 

_This is so going to be all over the internet_

Ryan leaned first, way braver than Shane as he was currently having a mental breakdown. His hands found their way to Shane’s neck sending electricity to his entire body and Shane couldn’t even try to fight the urge to lean forward to meet him halfway. A whimper escapes his lips as Ryan’s fingers got tangled in his hair and he smirked.

 It was an awkward position but as soon as Shane’s hands found Ryan’s back, everything felt right.

Shane considered running away. He had very little time but he still had time. It wasn't too let to save himself. A part of him wanted to run away to avoid the humiliation before their lips could touch but the way Ryan’s eyes flickered down to his lips and how his tongue gently licked on Shane’s bottom lip confirmed that there’s nowhere else he would rather be. Shane leaned into the kiss, amazed to see Ryan kissing back with so much enthusiasm. Almost like he had been waiting for this as much as Shane has. 

The kiss was over too soon for Shane to get the full taste but definitely lasted too long for a kiss cam. 

When he opened his eyes, Ryan was still holding him close, smiling.

“ This is not how I imagined our first kiss to be” Ryan whispered against his lips.

Shane stuttered on his words and was for once in his life, speechless. Air caught in his throat, an uncontrolled smile formed on his face.

Ryan pulled away, totally forgetting about the game and linked their fingers together. Smiling equally as big as Shane was.

Shane licked his lips, tasting Ryan, enjoying the tingling sensation and the way Ryan blushed nervously at such a simple gesture made Shane want to do it again. 

“ What do you say we get out of here?” Ryan suggested.

Shane nodded eagerly, wrapping his fingers around Ryan’s guiding him towards the exit.  Both of them feeling lighter and giggling like teenagers. Heart pounding with excitement whenever they would catch the other looking. 

With one last look back at the court, they made their way out. Walking together hand in hand, excited for what the future held for them and it's only when Shane saw the pictures online later on that he came to a conclusion. Like he expected, a couple of fans embarrassingly recognized them and captured their kiss on camera. So it's only when Shane saw the pictures of him and Ryan sharing their first kiss together that Shane realized that maybe basketball wasn’t so bad after all.

 

 

* and if Shane brought Ryan back to the arena 3 years later to propose, well that just makes him even more of a fan * 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for stopping by!  
> Don't forget to leave a comment and a kudos if you enjoyed it as it's always appreciated (:.  
> As always,  
> sincerely, your favorite ghouligan xx
> 
> P.s: I made a Tumblr for my fics so you can access them there as well and you can come to say hi if you have any request for future fics I should write or if you just want to chat (:


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